The newest standard allows for high-quality streaming through adapters

StarTech DisplayPort to HDMI

When we mention VESA in our articles, it's usually to say whether or not a monitor is compatible with the universal mounting system for walls, and for small desktop PCs to be installed at the back of monitors.

VESA does much more than that though. It wouldn't be called the Video Electronics Standards Association otherwise.

Its most recent announcement consists of two parts: one that reveals the completion of the DisplayPort Dual-Mode Standard, and another dealing with the DisplayPort and HDMI interfaces together.

Dual-Mode DisplayPort cable adapters will be available later this year (2013) and will have better interoperability and a higher data rate.

UHD (ultra high-definition) resolution will be possible to send through the adapters, which brings us to the second point: 4K-capable DisplayPort-to-HDMI adaptors.

“For a personal computer to fully support HDMI 1.4 or deep color, today a separate HDMI output is needed,” said Craig Wiley, senior director of marketing at Parade Technologies, and VESA Board of Directors chairman.

“This updated DisplayPort Dual-Mode Standard version 1.1 enables full support of HDMI 1.4 video modes, and 1080p deep color, using a simple cable adaptor plugged into the system's DisplayPort output. This helps to reduce the number of interface ports needed on a Personal Computer, which is desirable as form factors shrink.”

Display resolution of up to 1080p with 60Hz and 24 bits color are the top limit for the ”Type 1” adaptors. The Dual-Mode Standard release enables Full HD with deep color.

New Displayport-to-HDMI adapters will be known as “Type 2” from now on and will be backwards compatible with existing Dual-Mode DisplayPort source devices, though their limitations will apply.